WALSALL’S unbeaten league run was ended at five matches as Bury completed a quickfire double over Dean Smith’s side.

The Shakers, 4-2 winners at The Banks’s Stadium six weeks earlier, came out on top again in a tight but entertaining tussle.

The Saddlers arguably deserved at least a point but ended up on the wrong side of a flurry of three goals in 19 first-half minutes.

After Bury led through Mat Sadler’s 20th-minute own-goal, Jamie Paterson equalised direct from a free-kick only for former Saddlers captain Mark Hughes to nudge home the winner seconds later.

Without the suspended Manny Smith, Walsall switched Lee Beevers into central defence while manager Dean Smith tweaked his side further forward.

Andy Halliday replaced Richard Taundry on the right while, up front, veteran Jon Macken dropped to the bench as Ryan Jarvis figured in a lone role with Paterson just in behind him.

Paterson soon found space in that area to get an early shot away but it went well wide and Bury forced the first serious danger on 14 minutes when Jimmy Walker did well to turn away Mike Jones’ shot through a crowded box.

Five minutes later Walker was helpless when Bury took the lead in fortuitous style as Kevin Amoo’s intended cross took a huge ricochet off Sadler over the goalkeeper into the far corner.

Walker turned away a clever chip by Jones but when the Saddlers forced their first corner, in the 36th minute, they should have equalised. From Halliday’s kick, Adam Chambers had a far-post header saved at point-blank range by Cameron Belford then lifted the rebound over the bar from four yards.

Three minutes later, the Saddlers were level when Paterson’s 25-yard free-kick beat both the wall and a woefully out-of-position goalkeeper.

But parity lasted only seconds before Walker turned Peter Sweeney’s drive on to a post and the ball might have crossed the line anyway but Hughes was there to bundle home.

Walsall almost levelled again when Alex Nicholls’ effort was saved by Belford and they also started the second half brightly.

Paterson’s goalbound shot was deflected over and the winger, only 20 and new to senior football but invariably Walsall’s most dangerous player at the moment, flicked the ball into the path of substitute Kevan Hurst who fired over the bar.

As the game entered stoppage time, Sadler’s cross picked out Claude Gnapka but the substitute glanced his header wide.